I rarely prescribe a singular fundraising strategy. I genuinely believe there are multiple paths to success, and while I have my preferred tactics, different approaches can work depending on the organization. My practice is to share the insights I have gathered over the decades and offer guidance on what I believe will yield the best results.

However, there is one area where I am firm in my advice: campaigns. Throughout my career, I have witnessed both the most masterfully executed and the most poorly managed campaigns. The differences between them are stark, and the long-term impact on an organization’s fundraising and overall health is profound.

Well-Run Campaigns

• Possess a specific purpose beyond a financial goal. They represent an organization’s commitment to solving a problem, advancing society, or making tangible progress in a meaningful way.
• Cultivate an environment that attracts new donors and inspires deeper, sustained engagement from existing ones.
• Strengthen the organization’s fundraising foundation so that once the campaign concludes, key metrics continue to grow for years to come.
• Are launched when it makes strategic sense for the organization to grow, rather than following a predetermined or rigid timeframe.
• Challenge the necessity of traditional practices like formal feasibility studies, overly complex leadership structures, and gift tables in favor of practices that are flexible and tailored for the organization. 
• Maintain a sharp focus that promotes community and participation. They create an environment that people feel compelled to join.

Poorly Run Campaigns

• Prioritize high-dollar goals without clearly articulating the specific impact those funds will achieve.
• Rely on arbitrary deadlines that are frequently extended just to meet the stated goal, thus undermining credibility.
• Include non-philanthropic revenue to artificially inflate fundraising totals.
• Focus exclusively on reaching the immediate financial finish line, neglecting to build a sustainable long-term fundraising model.
• Present “priorities” or “buckets” that are too vague and general to inspire confidence.
• Utilize performative practices, such as grandfathering in unrelated gifts, unnecessary studies, and bloated leadership groups, simply because they are considered “standard.”
• Function as a spectacle that fails to move the needle on the organization’s status quo.

We have extensive experience working with organizations in all states of campaigns – don’t hesitate to reach out if we can help you think through your campaign.